IFP wants death penalty back on national agenda
THE IFP says it will put forward a motion to Parliament to open up a national dialogue on whether or not the death penalty should be reinstated.
The death penalty was abolished by the Constitutional Court in June 1995 after a five-year moratorium was placed on it in February 1990.
This is not the first time that the party has called for the death penalty to be discussed.
IFP MP Narend Singh told the media in Durban yesterday his party was alarmed at the high rate of violent crime.
Singh said with 57 murders a day, South Africa ranked among the highest in the world when it came to violent crime.
“We want to call for a national dialogue on the imposition of the death penalty.
“It is something we have discussed, and it is something that we won’t shy away from,” he said.
He said he had put in a motion to Parliament, but it had not been discussed.
“When we get back we certainly are going to place it back on the agenda,” said Singh.
He said only when there was a national dialogue could South Africans say whether or not sentences imposed against hardened criminals were suitable.
“We look at the Constitution and say it does not allow it, but a Constitution is a living document.
“It (Constitution) is there to be amended when it is necessary,” he said.
For capital punishment to work, the justice system needed to be efficient, he said.
“We need to make sure that there are enough prosecutors, enough police, and forensic investigators, and that they go to crime scenes,” he said. He had personally raised the issue of capital punishment on various platforms, and had been criticised by human rights lobby groups, Singh said.
“Even if we don’t reach an agreement on imposing capital punishment at least there will be the realisation from government that we need to do other things to make sure that we protect our people.
“We are alarmed that 57 murders a day are committed. I don’t think we make 57 arrests a day for people who commit those murders,” hesaid.
Singh said the SAPS were not motivated to do their work.
During a number of radio interviews about the death penalty, people had phoned in to support the IFP’s view, he said.
“They were saying the IFP is right because crime is getting out of hand. They were saying that people (murderers) go to prison to enjoy prison life.
“Human rights organisation make the case that in other countries, caital punishment has not worked to reduce murder rates, but we are saying we need to talk about it,” Singh said.
He said IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi would address the issue of crime, education, jobs and social cohesion during the party’s manifesto launch at Chatsworth Stadium on March 10.